MILF military chief assumes as environment minister

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL

March 1, 2019

BIAF-MILF Chief of Staff Sammy Al Mansoor in an old photo. (Provided)

COTABATO CITY: Abduraof Macacua, chief-of-staff of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, has officially taken over the helm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Thursday, February 28.

Macacua, who also goes by the name Almansour "Sammy" Gambar, is among the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) appointed by Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region as a member of his interim cabinet.

The DENR-ARMM, which is deemed abolished, is expected to be transformed into the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy under the new regional autonomous government.

Macacua replaced Kahal Kedtag AlHaj, regional secretary of DENR-ARMM.

During the turn over ceremony, Macacua told the DENR employees: “Isang pamilya na po tayo. Huwag po kayong manibago dahil kapatid niyo po ako.”

“Mabait po ako na tao, hinihiling ko lang na wag naman abusuhin,” he said, “Wala akong bisyo, ni isang kusing hindi ako nanalo o natalo, dahil hindi po ako sugarol.”

Macacua also serves as Secretary General of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party and MILF Co-Chair to the Task Force for the Decommissioned Combatants and their communities. He was one of the members of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel.

Chief Minister Ebrahim, who attended the turn over also addressed the DENR employees. “Yung mga nasa bureaucracy, ang official na (order) natin ngayon is lahat kayo ay intact, wala munang galawan, wala munang mawawala,” he said.

Macacua reminded the employees that corruption is not only taking money from the government. “Kasali po sa korapsyon ang late na pagpasok sa opisina.”

He said he wants to bring back the biometric system in the office to prevent corruption of time.

“Gusto ko din po na ang mga lamesa sa opisina ay gawing transparent ang drawer, alam niyo na po ang ibig kong sabihin,” he said.

Macacua said he wants the employees to treat each other as family, “Magtulungan po tayo, Kailangan ko po kayong lahat." 

Moreover, he emphasized that the good governance started by Kedtag and ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman should be sustained. 

(With Johanie Mae Kusain/RSP)